Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Monday 16 August 1999

Scottish Executive

Children

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to issue guidance to local authorities regarding charging policies for the provision of non-residential respite services for children with special needs.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Local authorities have powers under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 enabling them to charge for services provided under or by virtue of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. Authorities have not found it necessary to have central guidance on this provision and we have no plans at present to issue such guidance.

  We understand, however, that the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has set up a working group to examine charging policies for social care. While this group will focus on services for adults, it may provide pointers in relation to children’s services.

Education

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to expand development education as part of the curriculum in Scottish schools.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum have been asked, as part of their current review of the 5-14 environmental studies national guidelines, to map out the place of sustainable development education in the curriculum. In addition the Department for International Development are discussing with the Council the future production of resources and support materials on development education for teachers.

Education

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide an up to date breakdown, both by local authority area and type of project, of grants made from the Excellence Fund.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Table 1 shows a breakdown of Excellence Fund Core Programme allocated for 1999-2000 by local authority area and programme.

  Funding under the Excellence Fund Special Programme has been allocated in accordance with Table 2. Proposals under the Specialist Provision Programme are still being considered.

  TABLE 1  Excellence Fund Core Grant : Summary of Allocation of Funds for 1999/2000

  

Education Authority
Alternatives to Exclusion

Study Support

Early Intervention

Supporting Parents

Classroom Assistants

Reducing Class Sizes

Support for Teachers

Higher Still

NGfL 

Total 



 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current


Capital


 


Scotland
£5,000,000


£7,000,000


£13,000,000


£5,000,000


£9,500,000


£12,500,000


£10,100,000


£5,000,000


£7,600,000


£15,000,000


£89,700,000




Aberdeen City
£175,032


£244,843


£455,556


£175,032


£346,260


£441,325


£363,585


£180,748


£269,885


£532,669


£3,184,936




Aberdeenshire
£251,052


£339,646


£680,359


£251,052


£400,478


£215,005


£455,592


£233,038


£371,413


£733,051


£3,930,687




Angus
£113,126


£161,199


£287,532


£113,126


£176,188


£124,476


£232,506


£119,302


£171,360


£338,211


£1,837,026




Argyll & Bute
£93,133


£124,027


£256,997


£93,133


£94,947


£158,424


£182,291


£93,681


£135,713


£267,854


£1,500,201




Clackmannanshire
£48,331


£65,423


£130,896


£48,331


£113,078


£56,580


£91,816


£46,095


£73,572


£145,208


£819,331




Dumfries & Galloway
£156,778


£212,497


£423,955


£156,778


£240,252


£339,481


£324,921


£166,216


£229,333


£452,630


£2,702,843




Dundee City
£137,800


£197,221


£348,234


£137,800


£226,806


£554,485


£287,040


£144,271


£213,002


£420,398


£2,667,058




East Ayrshire
£126,487


£178,070


£326,557


£126,487


£293,776


£248,953


£241,198


£123,124


£194,229


£383,347


£2,242,227




East Dunbartonshire
£128,262


£190,933


£306,932


£128,262


£300,456


£418,693


£250,442


£129,235


£200,575


£395,871


£2,449,660




East Lothian
£84,089


£108,042


£241,248


£84,089


£170,679


£181,056


£147,820


£75,327


£124,726


£246,170


£1,463,248




East Renfrewshire
£104,126


£154,181


£251,098


£104,126


£245,761


£486,589


£197,464


£101,494


£162,733


£321,183


£2,128,756




Edinburgh, City of
£319,854


£430,219


£872,672


£319,854


£714,033


£1,606,876


£577,217


£291,398


£494,995


£976,964


£6,604,084




Eilean Siar
£38,354


£57,704


£90,361


£38,354


£30,000


£25,000


£177,400


£45,759


£46,233


£91,249


£640,415




Falkirk
£136,925


£189,273


£361,665


£136,925


£306,659


£622,382


£272,393


£139,210


£209,670


£413,821


£2,788,923




Fife
£352,406


£503,989


£891,449


£352,406


£563,046


£441,325


£726,852


£357,527


£542,867


£1,071,447


£5,803,314




Glasgow City
£487,950


£639,816


£1,369,833


£487,950


£1,076,038


£1,391,872


£925,412


£457,550


£737,118


£1,454,838


£9,028,378




Highland
£235,564


£326,805


£619,437


£235,564


£258,600


£237,637


£509,169


£261,682


£348,390


£687,612


£3,720,459




Inverclyde
£88,180


£127,680


£219,391


£88,180


£204,338


£215,005


£178,538


£91,770


£136,829


£270,057


£1,619,967




Midlothian
£84,826


£119,665


£218,424


£84,826


£153,850


£215,005


£167,147


£85,134


£130,692


£257,945


£1,517,514




Moray
£91,981


£126,639


£244,134


£91,981


£157,493


£192,372


£188,532


£95,403


£138,797


£273,942


£1,601,276




North Ayrshire
£142,794


£201,516


£367,514


£142,794


£318,847


£350,797


£280,702


£141,268


£219,160


£432,553


£2,597,945




North Lanarkshire
£347,659


£507,996


£854,225


£347,659


£673,044


£780,806


£700,074


£358,283


£540,568


£1,066,911


£6,177,225




Orkney Islands
£26,971


£40,727


£63,195


£26,971


£30,000


£25,000


£112,597


£28,602


£33,146


£65,420


£452,629




Perth & Kinross
£125,326


£169,524


£339,701


£125,326


£191,022


£328,165


£242,556


£124,678


£186,185


£367,470


£2,199,952




Renfrewshire
£179,703


£259,921


£447,759


£179,703


£439,906


£667,646


£342,407


£175,687


£279,085


£550,825


£3,522,640




Scottish Borders
£107,029


£147,340


£284,117


£107,029


£145,782


£158,424


£217,454


£111,301


£159,280


£314,368


£1,752,124




Shetland Islands
£32,148


£46,396


£80,339


£32,148


£30,000


£25,000


£179,772


£44,100


£39,090


£77,151


£586,144




South Ayrshire
£116,706


£174,018


£278,607


£116,706


£238,994


£362,113


£238,351


£122,011


£181,005


£357,247


£2,185,757




South Lanarkshire
£314,836


£453,223


£789,489


£314,836


£657,430


£554,485


£605,755


£311,705


£486,109


£959,426


£5,447,293




Stirling
£85,016


£124,536


£208,165


£85,016


£142,139


£135,792


£176,971


£89,670


£130,395


£257,359


£1,435,060




West Dunbartonshire
£103,451


£151,104


£254,321


£103,451


£217,784


£237,637


£198,896


£100,171


£161,914


£319,566


£1,848,293




West Lothian
£164,105


£225,825


£435,834


£164,105


£342,313


£701,594


£307,128


£154,561


£251,932


£497,235


£3,244,632





  TABLE 2

  Excellence Fund Special Programme Grant : Summary of Allocation of Funds for 1999-2000

  

Education Authority


Education Action Plans

New Community Schools

Specialist Provision



 
 
 
 


Aberdeen City
£500,000


£200,000


 


Aberdeenshire
£200,000


£200,000


 


Angus
 
£193,000


 


Argyll & Bute
 
£200,000


 


Clackmannanshire
 
£200,000


 


Dumfries & Galloway
 
£200,000


 


Dundee City
£500,000


£200,000


 


East Ayrshire
£100,000


£200,000


 


East Dunbartonshire
 
£200,000


£459,250




East Lothian
£200,000


£200,000


 


East Renfrewshire
 
£200,000


 


Edinburgh, City of
£500,000


£200,000


£505,385




Eilean Siar
 
£200,000


 


Falkirk
£100,000


£200,000


 


Fife
£200,000


£186,213


 


Glasgow City
£800,000


£200,000


£781,735




Highland
 
£200,000


 


Inverclyde
£200,000


£200,000


 


Midlothian
 
£200,000


 


Moray
 
£200,000


 


North Ayrshire
 
£200,000


 


North Lanarkshire
£300,000


£200,000


 


Orkney Islands
 
 
 


Perth & Kinross
£200,000


£200,000


 


Renfrewshire
£100,000


£200,000


 


Scottish Borders
 
£200,000


 


Shetland Islands
 
 
 


South Ayrshire
£100,000


£200,000


 


South Lanarkshire
 
£200,000


 


Stirling
 
£199,957


 


West Dunbartonshire
£500,000


£200,000


 


West Lothian
£200,000


£200,000


 


 
 
 
 


TOTAL
£4,700,000


£5,979,170


£1,746,370

Health

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for implementing the Scottish provisions of the Health Act 1999.

Susan Deacon: My answer to Question S1W–285 on 30 June to Mike Watson indicated that we hoped to commence the provisions of the Health Act 1999 relating to the management and organisation of the NHS in Scotland on 1 September 1999 and promised to keep members informed of progress.

  Regulations which are subject to annulment must be laid before Parliament at least 21 days before they are due to come into force. The Guide to Scottish Statutory Instrument Procedure, which has recently been issued, drew attention to the provision in article 13(1) of the Scotland Act (Transitory and Transitional Provision) (Statutory Instruments) Order 1999 that the computation of the 21 days does not include days when the Parliament is in recess for more than 4 consecutive days. That being so, in order to ensure that the 21-Day Rule is complied with, the relevant provisions of the 1999 Act will be brought into effect on 1 October 1999, which will allow necessary Regulations to come into effect on that day.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Catering

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will act to ensure that "Fair Trade" goods are available in the Parliament’s catering outlets.

Sir David Steel: The Scottish Parliament Corporate Body is currently considering how Fair Trade goods might be made available within the Parliament’s existing and pre-determined catering outlets, in conjunction with the catering contractor. Members will be kept informed of the outcome. I believe it would be the wish of Members to ensure that any new catering contract includes such a provision.

Staff

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will investigate the possibility of establishing a credit union for members and staff of the Scottish Parliament.

Sir David Steel: The SPCB has no plans to establish a credit union for members and staff of the Scottish Parliament.

  There are no plans to establish a credit union using the members and staffs own money and we are not aware of any approaches, either from members or staff, for us to do so.

  Apart from advances to assist with season ticket purchase, it would be an inappropriate use of public funds to extend short term, or long term, loans to staff or members, at an advantageous rate. This is against generally accepted rules of government accounting.